Worth It?

We have moved our craziness 900 miles East to St. Louis for a few days.  We love using our summer vacation to spend some quality time with our families in St. Louis and Michigan... but the trip this year getting from Rifle to St. Louis as quickly as possible definitely has me wondering if the trip is worth it.

And I do not have the answer.  We've been in St. Louis five hours and I've flip-flopped on my opinion at least a dozen times.  For example:

• When it took us 4 hours to drive 100 miles due to stops, crying babies, and a sick toddler --NOT WORTH IT
• Watching Memaw and Peepaw dote on our children and seeing the excitement of our children as they interact with their grandparents -- WORTH IT
• Watching six cousin under three play together and laugh and rough-house -- WORTH IT
• Watching all play self-destruct when overly tired cousins become crying, angry toddlers -- NOT WORTH IT
• Functioning on three-five hours of sleep from driving over night and then trying to settle everyone in for their first night in a new place, praying DESPERATELY that everyone sleeps as well as they do at home, and knowing the reality will be that I will have another night of three-five hours of rest -- NOT WORTH IT

I know we are going to have a great time but I also now understand why many parents with young children simply refuse to subject themselves to any sort of major travel when their children are so young.

 

The verdict is still out as to whether this trip is worth it, and as to whether, once this trip is over, we will ever leave home again.